Habby hepwobth



H. HEPWORTH.

HARDENING AND TEMPERING 0F WIRE. APPLICATION FILED APR. l0. I919.

Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

j //7 vnfon' Heir/" Hep war/77,

" ZiLwZZL Q UNITED srAtrnsr rnnr orrron.

HARRY HEPWORTH, OF CLEGKHEATON, ENGLAND.

HABDENING AND TEMIPEBING- 0F WIRE.

" Application filed April 10 To 117/ III/ll)! [fr/(1yconcern:

Be it known that I, Ilaunr I'Inrwou'ru, a subject of the King of (treat. Britain, and resident of (leckheatom in the county of York. England, have invented certain new and useful ln'iprovements in Connection with the Hardening and 'lempering of Wire, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the hardening and tempering of wire by the process in which gas flames are used to obtain the necessary heat. In this process, it has been customary first to pass the wire through a flame, then through an oil bath, then through molten lead kept liquid by another gas flame or series of flames, and through a second bath. Now according to this invention I pass the wire after the first quenching or oil bath around a carrier pulley and bring it back to the first flame, where it travels at a greater distance from the flame, and preferably over only a portion of the distance in traveling through which it has been exposed to the flame in the first or hardening operations. It then goes again through the same oil bath, instead of through a second oil bath.

By the use of this invention, a great economy of gas is effected through the utilization for tempering of the waste heat from the hardening process also the employment of the molten lead and second oil bath for tern pering is dispensed with, the machine can be made much shorter so as to economize space in the mill, and the heat diffused into the room where the operation is carried on will be much reduced.

In the accompanying diagrams Figure 1 is a side View with the tank for the quenching both shown in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view.

The reference numeral 1 indicates the first guide plate, 2 the waved tension plate, 3 the gas pipe, 4 the oil bath, all well-known parts.

he first lap a of the wire goes through the flame and through the oil bath in the usual way, but instead of passing forward to an extension of the machine for a Second heating and cooling as before, it is turned back and travels over carrier pulleys 5 and 6, from the latter of which the wire is returned in a second lap as shown at b to the heated zone, passes into the oil bath through the same slot, notch or eyelet as the first lap, it being guided by the spacing piece 7 which serves to keep the two laps apart from each Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

. 1919. Serial No. 289,130.

other and from the traveling wires at each side, over a guide roller or bowl 8, and thence onward to the winding machine. Eight, sixteen or othcrnumber of wires are traveling in parallel through the flames and the oil bath. To reduce which the lap 7) travels while exposed to the flames, the pulley u can be set nearer to the bath 1-. In the example shown, the size andposition of the pulley G are such that the lap I) is exposed to the flames rising from the gas pipe 3 practically throughout its travel from the pulley (5 to the bath 4, and at only a slightly greater average distance from the pipe than that of the lap at, but obviously by increasing the size or raising the aXis of the pulley 6, the lap b can be caused to perform the first portion of its travel at such a height that it is practically clear of the flames. and at a greater average distance than that shown from the pipe in the part which is exposed to them.

I claim as my invention l. The herein described process of hardialing and tempering wire consisting in moving the wire past a gas flame thence through a quenching bath, then returning the wire and again passing it by the said gas flame but ata greater average distance therefrom than the first lap of wire, to be heated by said gas flame to a lesser degree on the second lap and thence passing the' wire through the same quenching bath again, substantially as described.

:2. In connection with the features of claim 1 exposing the second lap of wire for tempering to the flame over a tance than that through which the first lap traveled for hardening.

:3. The herein described process of harthe distance through shorter discloning and tempering wire conslsting 1n nmving the wire past a gas flame thence through a quenching bath then returning the wire and exposing the second lap thereof for tempering to the same flame in lesser degree than that to which the first lap Was subjected for hardening and then passing the second lap through the same quenching bath, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

HARRY HEPl/VORTH.

' Witnesses I. IVAKEFIELD, G. M. DENISON. 

